Abstract

This article suggests that, in seeking to understand and interpret literary texts, non-native speaker students should be encouraged to exploit general problem-solving abilities in support of their developing linguistic competence. This point is illustrated by discussion of a comprehension experiment conducted in L2 classrooms under a variety of conditions. It is suggested that interpretive abilities acquired in task-based approaches can be applied to texts other than those directly studied, and so build transferable skills rather than the specialised cultural literary knowledge usually associated with literature courses. Advocating a task-based approach to comprehension based on inference and problem-solving, the article concludes, also draws attention to wider questions regarding the usefulness of studying literature in L2 situations.

Item Type:

Book Section

Additional Information:

Translated for publication into Japanese by Yoshifumi Saito. Also published as ‘Comprehension and problem-solving in the literature classroom', in, Ganakumaran Subramaniam (ed), Teaching of Literature in ESL/EFL Contexts, Sasbadi-MELTA ELT Series (Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 2003),) pp.111-39. ISBN 9835916624.